Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the number two Democratic leader is getting behind a plan to end the filibuster as we know it, according to a new report from Greg Sargent.
Sargent reports that Durbin is “throwing his weight behind” a plan to fundamentally alter filibuster rules proposed by Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The plan, unveiled yesterday, would create a series of votes that would mean filibusters could eventually be broken by a simple majority vote.
Durbin’s endorsement of the plan shows support for the change could be growing among Senate Democrats, though, as the Washington Post reported yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid already said the changes Harkin and Shaheen have proposed would be impossible to implement.
The growing dissatisfaction with the filibuster among Senate Democrats mirrors a similar feeling among the general public, according to a poll released yesterday showing a majority of Americans want the filibuster eliminated from Senate rules.
